Saw Ø
by JunKing
Summary: A young man is kidnapped and put through a series of tests while another group of people fight to survive. What is their connection and will they come together to understand the truth before it is too late?
1. Kidnapped

Chapter 1: Kidnapped

His phone rang again. By the third ring, the answering machine answered the call for him. 'Hey you've reached Lenny. I'm not in so leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.' said the automated recording before the beep sounded off. This had to be the third time this week now.

"Lenny, it's your mother. Listen, I'm sorry about the other day...you know I didn't mean any of what I said. Please call me, okay?" As soon as the click echoed through the machine, Lenny opened his eyes and lifted his head up off the desk. After everything that had happened the past few months, he hadn't really talked to very many people at all. His face was pale and his eyes lacked luster of any kind. It was as if he was as empty as his heart felt. Ignoring the call, he rose up from his chair and headed towards the front door.

-----

_"Listen we're all sorry about what you've been through recently; but if you can't get to work on time, we can't use you here." _Lenny continued to hear his manager's words even an hour afterward. He needed this job but at the same time, he knew the time was probably coming when he would be fired. Standing at the cash register, he blankly went through his routine with the customers of the restaurant. A fake smile, a quick but uninterested 'how is your day going?', an unseen roll of the eyes every time they walked away. It was near dead now, nobody really being in the restaurant. He always hated days like this because there was nothing to do, nothing to distract him from his thoughts. Looking over, he noticed the trash bin was reaching its full limit. He took a step towards the bin but suddenly sensed someone standing in front of him.

The older man looked at Lenny with a glare that seemed somewhat eerie. His eyes seemed as blank as Lenny's, but somehow so full of something. What that something was, Lenny didn't know; but he realized that he was beginning to feel uncomfortable. "What can I do for you sir?" he asked calmly.

"Surely you can think of a more proper greeting than that. Aren't you supposed to ask me how I'm doing? Make me feel like I'm welcome?" replied the older man. Lenny blinked slightly, somewhat shocked.

"How are you doing sir? Is there anything I can get for you?"

"I'm doing fine today. How about yourself?" the older man asked.

"I'm good thank you. What can I get for you?" The man smiled slightly at Lenny's response.

"You know, there was a time when you were the warmest employee here. What exactly is it that has withered your soul so deeply?" Lenny frowned at this question, becoming offended.

"That would be my business sir. Now if there's nothing I can do for you, I'd appreciate if you stepped away from my register."

"Very well then. But don't worry. You'll soon be able to feel alive again. Have a good evening." said the man as he walked away. Lenny stood perplexed as to what he was talking about. The knowing glare he had received made him feel nervous and uneasy. Brushing the conversation off, he turned back to the garbage and lifted the heavy bag out from it.

"I'll be back in a minute." he said to his manager as he headed past her office towards the back door. The warmth from inside was replaced with a frigid breeze once the door was open. Shuddering, Lenny walked out towards the dumpster and lifted the lid. Before he could toss in the trash, he heard the door slam shut. 'Damn it.' he thought once he realized he was now locked outside. With a sigh he tossed in the trash and took a step back towards the door. Suddenly, he caught a frightening image in the corner of his eye. A cloaked figure wearing what looked to be a pig's face jumped around from behind the dumpster and attacked him.

-----

Lenny's eyes creaked open slowly. It was as if his eyes were still shut; darkness was all he saw. His head felt surprisingly heavy and his chest tight. 'Where am I?' he thought. The last recorded thoughts of his played back through his mind. Fear began to set in as his head pounded unrelentingly. His eyes squinted shut again once a harsh bright light flashed on beneath him. After several moments, he realized that the light was shining up at him from his feet. More lights began to come to life and that's when he came to a shocking revelation. The light was actually above him. He was hanging upside down in what looked like a glass tank. He screamed and tried to move his arms, but they wouldn't even budge. He was wearing a straitjacket.

"Help!!! Somebody!!!!"

A sound buzzed above him, a voice beginning to speak.

"Hello Lenny. I want to play a game. Over the past few months, you have slowly slipped into a dull state of nothingness. You live by routine and let people push you around. Tonight, we will find out if you have what it takes to regain control and survive. The cuffs around your ankles are resting on a hook above you. In order to release yourself from this tank, you will need to remove the restraints from the hook; as your own body weight is holding you down."

"By now, you have noticed that your arms are also restrained so you will have to use something else to free yourself. By the time this tape is finished, a liquid you are familiar with will begin to fill this tank. You will have to act quickly to escape, otherwise you will drown. Do you appreciate your life? Live or die, Lenny. Make your choice."

As soon as the tape ended, Lenny heard a clicking sound. Something began pouring in at the bottom of the tank, creating an odd smell that rose up through it and reached Lenny's nostrils. Looking down, he realized that it was blood.

"Oh GOD!! Somebody get me the fuck outta here!!" Nobody answered. He struggled to release himself from the straitjacket, but it was no use. Yelling, he tried to get the cuffs around his ankles to fall off the hook. He noticed that the hook had four other chains, one attached to each wall of the glass tank. Maybe if he removed his body weight from the hook, it would raise up and yank the other chains out from the walls, breaking the tank and freeing him. The blood continued to rise up closer and closer to his head...

"HELP!!!"


	2. Let The Games Begin

Chapter 2: Let the Games Begin

Lenny struggled harder with each passing second, but it was no use. The straitjacket wasn't going to break. Looking back down underneath his head, he realized that the blood was getting closer. Suddenly, he noticed that there was a small red light blinking on the cuffs around his ankles. 'What the fuck is that?' he thought to himself as panic set in. The coppery odor of blood intensified as it rose higher in the tank. For a quick second, Lenny saw another red blinking light. But this one was in the blood. Straining his neck to see underneath him, he once again saw the light. It appeared to be a small remote of some kind, with a round button on it.

'Will that free me?' he asked himself. Seeing no other way out, he took a deep breath and hesitantly let his head be submerged in the rising liquid. The blood was cold and it felt as if the liquid was seeping through his pores. Mentally, he was screaming. He moved his head around frantically, searching desperately for the small remote he had seen. After a few seconds, he felt something bump against his forehead.

'That's it!!' he yelled in his mind. Regretfully, he opened his mouth and tried to catch it. He nearly choked once the blood ran into his open mouth, the icy feeling of death invading his body. No remote. Running out of air, he quickly pulled himself into a sit-up position as he hung upside down, hovering over the rising blood. He coughed and spit, the blood splattering all over the glass walls around him. At this point, the blood rose higher and he found himself submerged once again. Having only gotten half a breath, he searched faster; knowing that if he didn't find the small remote this time, he'd definitely drown. His body swung back and forth as he tried his best not to exhale. He could feel the cold blood reaching past his waist, waiting to claim his life.

As if he was bobbing for apples, he searched for his prize. Just then, he felt the remote against his nose. Quickly, he opened his mouth and grabbed it inbetween his teeth; the scarlet substance around him invading his gums and rolling down his tongue. Lenny screamed as he bit down on the remote, desperately hoping the button would save him. 'Please!!' he yelled mentally. By now, the blood was rising above his knees and still nothing happened. Releasing some air, Lenny bit down again and again on the button, waiting for a reaction...but nothing happened. Bubbles traveled to the surface of the liquid as he exhaled.

Blood creeped down his throat and up his nostrils as he could feel his body giving up. Suddenly, the red light on his ankle cuffs turned green. Both cuffs opened, leaving Lenny's body to plummit down further to the bottom of the tank. No longer holding his body weight, the hook that was holding him retracted towards the ceiling, yanking all the other chains with it. The sound of glass shattering filled the air as all four of the walls collapsed onto the ground. The blood that was once held back inside the tank spilled freely onto the cold ground, taking Lenny's body along with it.

Immediately, he coughed, regurgitating the blood he had swallowed. Once he was done coughing, he harshly took in a few breaths of air. Turning to lay on his side, he rested his head against the ground and let the life flow back into him.

-----

It was dark. Lori's eyes opened slowly, squinting through her broken glasses. Her short black hair fell across her face, blocking her vision. Remembering nothing of how she got here, she began to panic slightly. Her first instinct was to raise her hand up to her face and move the hair from her vision but when she attempted to do so, she was stunned with surprise. She couldn't move her arms. Upon further examination, she realized she couldn't move her legs either. She was standing inside what looked to be a coffin, arms and legs strapped to the backing. A horrified gasp escaped her lips as she noticed barbed wire wrapped around her torso in a corset-like fashion, attached to a chain that traveled behind her and through a hole in the backing of the coffin. On the other side, another woman woke to the same predicament. Also strapped inside a coffin, the older woman struggled in her restraints.

Peering her head outside the coffin, Lori realized that it was bolted up against a wall. Feeling some sort of resistance tugging at the barbed wire belt around her waist, she noticed that the chain must've been tied to somebody else too. Even though both of the women couldn't see it, they were both back to back on opposite sides of the wall, being connected by the chain around their waists.

"Hey! Stop moving!" Lori tried to yell as the barbed wire corset cut into her skin through her clothing. The person on the other side didn't seem to be able to hear her. Meanwhile, the older woman looked forward as a television screen buzzed to life. It was the same for Lori on her side as well. Both women watched as a pale looking puppet with red cheeks turned its head towards them.

"Hello. I want to play a game. You both work for a system known throughout the nation, but oddly enough, neither of you uphold the standards of justice with which you use to punish others. Hypocrisy is the greatest irony, and true justice will be served. Hanging in front of you is a key. In order to receive it, you must both do something that you are unaccustomed to. Endure this trial and you will be one step closer to freedom. Patience is the key. Live or die. Make your choice."

As soon as the video screen buzzed off, the arm and leg restraints on both women snapped open, allowing them to move more freely. Suddenly, a timer with large red numbers began counting down from exactly two minutes. Both women gasped, somehow sensing that something potentially fatal would take place and the end of the countdown. Lori slowly took a step forward, stopping to search for any other danger. The older woman on the other side also started to move forward towards the key, the chain uncoiling on the ground the farther she walked. Once they reached a certain point, the chain pulled a pin out, getting Lori's attention. She turned to see that the door of the coffin, which had been sitting wide open, now had multiple metal spikes protruding from it. Gasping, she increased her efforts to reach the key, moving forward with the chain uncoiling behind her back. Before long, the chain would unravel no more and Lori could feel the resistance pulling her back. As it tugged her back, the barbed wire corset cut into her torso deeper.

"Ahh! Oh my god!" Lori yelled as blood began to soak her shirt underneath. She reached around and grabbed the chain, pulling on it so that she could get closer to the key. On the other side of the wall, the older woman let out a painful cry as her barbed wire corset cut into her now. Her long wavy brown hair fell across her face as she realized she was being yanked back towards the coffin. She too noticed the spikes on the door of the coffin and didn't want to get anywhere near it. The more she struggled to move forward, the more it became apparent that only one person was going to be able to reach their key before the timer finished. Ignoring the pain as best she could, she wrapped the chain around her fists and pulled as hard as she could, hearing Lori screaming in pain as a result.

The two engaged in a battle of tug of war, fighting each other to reach their key. Tears streamed from Lori's eyes as much as the blood flowed from her body. Try as she might, the other person seemed to be stronger than her. Looking forward, she noticed the key hanging from a hook on the ceiling just a few feet away. Meanwhile, the timer continued to get closer to its end. Noticing this, the older woman opposite Lori yanked the chain again, bleeding and screaming as she got closer to her key. Lori couldn't bear the pain any longer as she was practically dragged back to her coffin. With just twenty seconds left, the older woman finally reached her key and pulled it off the hook. As she undid the lock on her back, she heard Lori scream in terror before a sickening crunching sound silenced it.

The timer finished just as the woman collapsed to the ground, having freed herself from the barbed wire corset. To her surprise, the hook that was holding the key traveled across the ceiling on a pulley, stopping right in front of the coffin. An uneasy feeling came over her as she forced herself to raise to her feet. Lights flashed on, illuminating the room. To the right, she could see a door. The sound of her heels clicked against the ground as she approached it. She wasn't sure what she was going to see, but she knew she couldn't just sit in this room forever.

Using the key she had taken, she unlocked the door and kicked it open. Carefully, she walked in and kept her guard up. Looking to her left, she screamed in horror as she saw the other coffin against the wall. It was shut tight and blood seeped out from the bottom. Now she knew what became of the other woman. But that wasn't all. Something else caught her eye. There was a key sitting right in front of the closed coffin hanging from a similar hook. It was then that this woman realized her mistake.

'He said patience is the key....we weren't supposed to go for it. If we had just waited for the timer to finish, the key would've came to us and we both would've survived...' she thought to herself. Tears swelled up in her eyes as she saw that she had basically killed somebody. Shaking her head and tossing her long brown hair over the shoulder of her business jacket, she said aloud, "If it wasn't her, then it would've been me." At least thats what she would tell herself for now. Ignoring the scene in front of her, she saw another door across the room. With a deep breath, she took her key and approached it.

-----

_"No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you'll NEVER be the man HE is!" _

Lenny's eyes snapped open and he lifted his head from the cold ground underneath him. His body covered with blood head to toe, he realized that he must've passed out. Taking a minute to gather himself, he managed to get to his feet. Again, he tugged his arms inside the straitjacket. Still, it was no use. He wouldn't be able to free himself from it alone. In front of him sat an open door, leading into darkness. In the corner of his eye, he saw something. It was a camera and it seemed to be watching his every move.

"Fuck you, asshole." Lenny said before moving forward. Somehow, he knew this next room would be even more dangerous than the one he stood in.


	3. Missing

Chapter 3: Missing

Special Agent Isabel Cortez sat hunched over by the dumpster outside Lenny's restaurant, her long caramel hair hiding her face. While her partner spoke with the manager inside, she analyzed everything and searched for clues. Normally her department wouldn't have been notified of this disappearance until a full twenty four hours had passed, but given the events surrounding Lenny and his family the past few months, they were called to the scene right away.

"Anything?" she asked as her partner's presence behind her became known. Her partner, a middle aged man with blonde hair, stepped forward placing his notepad in his back pocket.

"Nothing useful. Last she saw of him, he was taking out the trash. After that, she never saw him come back in."

"Interesting. Williams, come here and check this out." she said, this time referring to her partner by name. Doing as told, Agent Williams approached the dumpster and looked to his partner's discovery.

"I don't think he simply took off. Somebody else was here." she said, her Hispanic accent rich with knowledge.

"How do you know for sure?"

"There's car fluid in the parking space right over there. It seems a few hours old, but it has to have been connected."

"If that's the case, maybe someone showed up and he left with them of his own free will." offered Williams.

"No, I don't think so. Look back here, by the dumpster. Its possible there may have been a struggle. The dirt is scuffed, almost as if he was dragged."

"Well Cortez, we can't be one hundred percent certain until forensics gets a good look at it, but it does look to be that way. The only question is why and who?" said Williams as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"If we knew that, we'd have saved his brother months ago. Whoever took his brother has to have taken him as well. There's something else here, something we're not seeing." Just as Agent Cortez finished speaking, a car pulled around the corner. Parking on the other side of the lot, the black vehicle remained in silence for a few seconds before the doors opened to reveal two figures.

"It's Tapp." realized Cortez as he approached.

"Nice to see you again Agent Cortez. This is my partner, Detective Kerry."

"What's homicide doing here so soon?" asked Williams.

"They're here to lend a hand. Tapp's department is highly skilled, their participation in our investigation will help us a great deal." said Cortez as she adjusted the buttons on her trench coat.

"We don't know for sure that he's dead, why bring them in?" Williams' brow raised in his partner's direction.

"Given the number of missing people that have been turning up dead recently, we think it's best to have all our bases covered in advance." added Kerry, breaking the tension in the air as she spoke.

"Let me show you what I've found." Tapp and Kerry followed Cortez towards her findings as Williams looked through his PDA for Lenny's address.

"We'll have to wait for forensics to get here, they're on their way." said Kerry after hearing Cortez' theory. Tapp continued to look around before Williams interrupted the silence.

"Hey, I've got his address Cortez, are you coming?" he asked.

"Yeah, let's go." she said before turning back to Tapp and Kerry. "We'll catch up with you guys later. Please call me if anything turns up."

"Will do." said Tapp as he and Kerry got to work.

-----

A man watched silently on his monitors, making sure all was going according to his plans. The dim blue light reflected off of his shaved head as he continued to sit in silence. At the moment, his eyes remained fixed upon one particular screen, where a young man had narrowly escaped drowning to death.

"Smart boy." he said as he nodded slightly. He was watching Lenny, having just escaped his first trap. The man's name was John Kramer and even though his actions might've made some believe otherwise, he was genuinely trying to help his subjects. Life had ended for him when he had recently been diagnosed with cancer. But instead of wasting away without purpose, he wanted to help others realize their full potential. People who society had written off, people who had written themselves off; all of them deserved a second chance. And this is what John believed he was doing for them, providing them with that second chance that they'd been so desperate for, whether or not they realized it. With one simple game, these people would be able to see their mistakes and live life to the fullest. That is, if they proved themselves worthy of life.

_"People who do not appreciate life, do not deserve life." _he remembered always telling his ex-wife while she walked out the door to take care of people whom she didn't even know; people who were dangerous and sick but supposedly seeking guidance for their ways.

_"You have your way of helping people and I have mine." _she would often reply back. Oddly enough, it was true. But John decided to change his way of helping people long ago. Now he would see the one thing that his ex-wife hoped for every single day she went to work: results. Looking over at the monitor on the right of him, he shook his head. Two of his other test subjects had failed, resulting in one of their deaths. He watched closely now as the brown haired woman approached a doorway, a key in her hand. Hopefully, she'd learn her lesson and do better with this next trap. The more he thought about it, the more he hoped she would, for her sake.

-----

Taking one last look at the blood soaked coffin against the wall, the brown haired woman turned the key and once again kicked open another door. At first, she could see nothing. The room was pitched black and she had to grope her way around the wall to her left. To her surprise, the door that she had just opened slammed shut. Panic began to set in before fear took over again. Bright blue lights began to illuminate the room around her, causing her to squint her eyes. Once she adjusted to the light, she noticed another woman lying on the ground on the other side of the room. She noticed that both her hands and feet were shackled; chains leading to something that she couldn't see too clearly.

"Are you alright?" said the older woman as she took a step towards the seemingly lifeless young woman across from her. However before she could take another step, flames erupted from the ground in front of her, causing her to scream and jump back towards the wall. It was then that the young woman on the floor began to awaken, the heat causing her to do so.

"Ugh...where...am I? What is this?" she managed to say.

"Wait, don't move! Unless you want to burn!" said the older woman. Just then, a voice echoed through speakers on the ceiling.

"Hello Sophia. And welcome to the next game. In front of lies a woman. She seems innocent but once you get a closer look at her, you might think otherwise." said the dark, menacing voice. The flames began to brighten the young woman's face, making it more clear to Sophia.

"Yes that's right. Her name is Amy Tilan, the woman who was having an affair with your husband before he died."

"No..." said Sophia as her jaw dropped slightly.

"You remember her, don't you? Of course, your husband's death was ruled an accident, but did you ever consider the possibility that dear Amy had a hand in his unfortunate demise? After all, he was a very wealthy man." Sophia began to twist her lips into an angry look of disgust. She had her suspicions about her husband's death but at the time, she was so hateful about him cheating on her, that she never could find it within her to feel remorse for his death. But now, two years after the incident, she had forgiven her husband.

"You now have a choice, Sophia. The key you are holding will free Amy, but you will have to pass through the fire in order to undo her restraints. Once you free her, the flames will be extinguished and you will both be another step closer to freedom. If you choose not to save her, then she will be forced to pay for her sins." As the voice continued to talk, Amy screamed out in pain as the metal floor around her began to heat up, burning her barely covered skin.

"Will you harm yourself to save her? Or will you let her burn like the witch you view her to be? The choice is yours." Just then, Sophia could see that Amy's restraints led to a wooden pole. A timer began to count down from exactly sixty seconds on the wall next to Sophia. She clenched the key in her hand and looked over to Amy, who was practically begging for mercy.

"Please! I'm sorry for what I did, help me!!" she cried. Sophia listened as the timer continued to click down toward Amy's death.

"I'M BURNING UP!! PLEASE!!!!" cried the girl again. Sophia looked at the key in her hand and then back to Amy. She had made up her mind.

-----

"Cortez, there's about four messages from his mother on the answering machine. She's been asking him to call her." said Agent Williams as he entered Lenny's room. Inside the room, Agent Isabel Cortez observed various pictures on the walls, piecing together the victim she was searching for.

"Sounds like something must've happened between the two. She may hold the key to finding Lenny. Call her and see what you can find out. We'll then relay any information back to Tapp and Kerry."

"I'm on it." Williams replied as he left the room. It was always important to try and get in the mind of the person that was missing; and as Cortez sat in Lenny's room looking through his belongings, she couldn't help but feel sad. Pictures of Lenny's brother sat in a box inside the nearby closet. Obviously, his memory was too painful to bear and Lenny wanted nothing to do with it anymore. She thought back to her sister, Lindsey Perez. Oddly enough, they both worked for the F.B.I. but being in the same line of work led to them being distant. On top of that, the two didn't always see eye to eye. But now after having seen the despair that Lenny obviously had over the loss of his brother, she wanted nothing more than to call Lindsey and tell her how much she loved her.

'After I solve this case, I'll call her.' thought Cortez. Taking one last glance at Lenny's room, she walked out to search the rest of the apartment.


	4. Hard Lessons

Chapter 4: Hard Lessons

Lenny walked forward into the dark room, cautiously keeping guard. His body and clothing drenched in blood, he could hardly think straight. Right away, he noticed the dark room felt damp and smelled of moisture. To his surprise, the open door behind him slammed shut, leaving him to stand in the darkness. Panicking, he rammed his shoulder into the door numerous times to try and open it back up. God only knew what would happen to him if he stayed in this room. Just then, a single green light buzzed to life in the middle of the room, illuminating his surroundings; although barely. As far as he could see, the room was completely empty and the walls around him looked rusted. In the corners of his eyes, he also noticed that several metallic looking objects sat protruding out of both walls on either side of him. As soon as he tried to focus on what they were, the dark voice from before reappeared over speakers on the ceiling.

"Hello Lenny. Welcome to your next test. Recently, you have been allowing others to push you around; never having the courage to defend yourself. You constantly see yourself as a victim, but what I see is a coward. The purpose of this next test is to show you just how dangerous it can be to allow yourself to be pushed around." As the man spoke, Lenny shuddered in fear as well as anger. Now his attention was turned towards the objects on the walls beside him.

"As soon as this message is finished, a door is going to open on the other side of the room. You will have exactly sixty seconds to reach it before it closes again, locking you in what will surely become your tomb. On the wall to your right, there are several water hoses that will proceed to blast you towards the wall to your left. If you fail to stand your ground and successfully make your way towards the door, you will be impaled by the knives protruding from the opposite wall." Just then, Lenny lost his breath and his heart skipped a beat. As the light became brighter, he saw that the man wasn't telling any lies. On the other wall, knives of all sizes sat pointed towards him. If he failed, he would end up impaled like meat on a skewer.

"Will you finally oppose the forces that push you, or will you let them guide you towards your demise? Live or die. Make your choice." With that, a beep sounded throughout the room, making Lenny jump.

"WAIT!" he yelled. Before anything else could be said, a thick stream of water hit him across the face. The water was ice cold and the sheer force of it felt like a punch in the face. Nearly losing his balance, Lenny gasped in shock as he reeled from the blow to his jaw. Another water hose activated, shooting water painfully at his stomach. Then another hose activated, this time sending a spear of water at his ankle. Again and again, he was pelted with cold water from the high pressured hoses. He screamed as he felt his body being forced towards the knives on the wall just a few feet away. Turning his back to the water, he grunted as he desperately tried to move towards the now open door across from him. Even though it was just across the room, it seemed so far away. Inch by inch he moved through the harsh pressure from the water hoses. Bruises already began to form on his body as he fought to survive. It felt as if pins and needles were being thrown at him and pretty soon, the skin on his back began to numb itself to the pain.

Another stream hit his ankle, causing him to fall to one knee. The pressure pushed him forward and onto his stomach, sliding slightly on the ground towards the knives. "FUCK!!" Lenny screamed as he struggled to get back up. His torso still wrapped in a straitjacket, he thought about how much easier this task would be if he'd only had his arms free to help him crawl. Feeling his adrenaline kick into overdrive, he forced himself to stand up and move away from the knives. But the farther away he got from them, the closer he got to the water hoses which meant the more pain he felt from them.

"I'm almost there, I'm almost there! Just fucking WAIT!" he yelled, knowing that time was counting down. The blood that had soaked his body from the last trap began to flow onto the ground around him, cleansing him of the immediate presence of death. However, that presence still lurked as he realized he only had ten seconds left to get through the door before it was sealed forever. With a primal yell that was half drowned out, he leaped through the door frame and landed on his side in the next room. As soon as his body collided with the ground, he felt his elbow snap.

"Ahhhhhhhh!!!!" he screamed once he realized he injured his arm. A second later, the door behind him closed violently and sealed itself shut.

He was alive.

The traumatization of almost dying twice in the same hour overwhelmed him and he didn't bother to see if he was in any immediate danger. After catching his breath, he let his head rest on the ground as he sobbed silently to himself.

-----

John watched on as Lenny narrowly escaped death for the second time in a row. "Don't worry. If you survive this, you'll once again be able to enjoy your life." A voice called his name from the next room. Slowly, he turned his head and rose from his seat, quietly walking through the small hallway that separated the rooms. Going through the doorway, he made direct eye contact with his jittery new apprentice.

"What is it, Detective Hoffman?" he asked, his voice never losing any of its ominous atmosphere.

"John, I...I just don't understand why we're doing this. These people may not be saints, but they aren't criminals." the young man said as he looked through various folders containing information on John's current test subjects.

"And to whose morals are you judging that statement on? You of all people should know that just because a person hasn't been found guilty of a crime, it doesn't mean they haven't committed any." Hoffman became silent at John's words, looking away.

"Don't worry Detective. You'll soon realize that I'm only helping these people. Hopefully, you will learn to help them in the same way I have. Don't forget what you promised me."

"I...I know." replied Hoffman in an almost inaudible tone. A few more seconds of silence passed by before he spoke again. "How far along are they?"

"Far enough. I cannot specify the details right now, since you are still only learning my methods. But soon, you will get your chance to see in person my method of rehabilitation. For now, your task is to make sure we stay off the police radar. They cannot know what we are doing here."

"...Okay John." After the conversation appeared complete, John once again turned around and disappeared into the dark hallway, leaving Detective Hoffman to sit with his thoughts.

-----

"Isn't there someone else who can take care of Matthews, Kerry?" asked Detective Tapp as he shook his head.

"Right now, I've got to do everything I can to help him. Don't forget, he was my partner once."

"Isn't that exactly what got him into trouble in the first place, Kerry?" Tapp replied. Upon hearing his words, Kerry shifted her gaze to an empty spot on the wall over his shoulder, not wanting to face the facts. "I'm just saying that if you keep getting involved with Matthews, you're going to get hurt. Look at the facts, he just got suspended for excess force violations. He's gotten dangerous, Kerry. You can't help people who don't want to be helped."

"...Anyways, your new partner's name is Stephen Sing. He's good and he gets the job done. Go and introduce yourself to him. I'll be back in a few days." After she finished speaking, Kerry took her jacket from her chair and left the office without looking back. After a sigh and another shake of his head, Tapp opened the door to his office and saw the young Asian man sitting in his chair.

"'Sup Tapp. I'm sure we're going to get along great." Sing said in a sarcastic, yet comical manner.

"Yeah. Great."

-----

"Cortez, we're still not getting an answer from any of his contacts. Not his mother, not his friends, nobody." said Agent Williams as he re-entered Lenny's apartment.

"Something tells me he hasn't been keeping in touch with them for quite some time. Why would he isolate himself like this for so long? Somethings not adding up." said Agent Isabel Cortez as she rubbed her forehead stressfully.

"I'm not sure, but I did find this card in his mailbox. It's from a doctor at the local clinic."

"Who's it from?"

"Dr. Jill Tuck." said Williams as he flashed her the card. Nodding, they both left the apartment and got ready to head towards the clinic.

-----

John watched as Lenny cried to himself, not moving an inch. He then turned his attention back to his other test subjects, where two of them were still in the middle of their test. Both women knew each other, and the older woman still hadn't made her choice as to whether or not she was going to save the younger woman or not. John listened in as time was beginning to run out.

"PLEASE! I'M BURNING HERE FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" cried Amy as she struggled to move in her restraints. Sophia looked down at the key in her hand and thought about whether or not she'd jump through the flames to help her. Knowing that this girl killed her husband angered her, but at the same time, she couldn't just stand there and let her die. Again looking at the key and the crying young woman, Sophia finally broke her silence.

"You killed my husband...why should I help you?"

"I know what I did was wrong! But you were no better! He used to tell me how much you broke his heart, how much he loved you..and yet he was in my bed, a total stranger...not yours!"

Sophia's stomach churned with anger and disgust, and partly guilt. But now she didn't care anymore. She took the key and tossed it through the fire towards the girl.

"Save your damn self." said Sophia coldly as she peered through the flames at Amy. The key landed it front of the girl and right away, she scrambled to reach it. The restraints around her ankles and wrists kept her from being able to move forward, thus preventing her from being able to grab the key. It was as if her fingertips were just about to touch it, but that extra inch was all that stood in the way of her being able to survive.

"No...NO!! I-I can't REACH it!!" Amy cried, looking at Sophia. The woman coldly stared at her, not even blinking. Five seconds remained and Amy faced the reality of what was about to happen. Giving one last lunge at the key, she screamed with tearful eyes before looking back to Sophia.

"YOU BITCH!!!" The timer finished and Amy's restraints retracted into the wall behind her, yanking her body up against the wooden pole before it fully caught fire. As the wood erupted into flames, so did Amy's body. Her screams echoed in Sophia's ears, but for some reason, all she could do was watch as the girl burned to death. While a part of her felt wrong, another part of her felt satisfied that the girl got what she deserved. After half a minute, Amy's screams ceased to be heard. Suddenly, white fire extinguisher fog burst out from the ceiling, momentarily taking the oxygen away from Sophia as she fell to her knees, choking and gasping for breath. Without any air to fuel them, the flames withered back into nothingness, leaving only Amy's charred remains to lay on the ground.

Sophia felt herself losing consciousness and before she knew it, her vision became as black as the room around her.


	5. Shedding Light

Chapter 5: Shedding Light

Agent Cortez flashed her badge to the receptionist at the drug clinic. "We're looking for Dr. Jill Tuck."

"She's got an appointment-"

"We need to speak to her now." Agent Williams interrupted. The receptionist remained silent for a second before rising from her chair behind the counter. She walked around it and down the left hallway before knocking on the third door. Cortez watched silently as the door opened slightly after a few seconds. Quiet words were exchanged before the receptionist pointed down the hallway towards Cortez and Williams. After a brief nod, the receptionist turned around and walked back to her station. Behind her, Jill came out with a younger woman.

"I'm sorry Amanda. You can re-schedule another appointment at the desk and we'll finish up then, okay?" Cortez heard Jill say to the young woman as they approached. The short, quiet girl kept her head down; avoiding the faces of both Cortez and Williams as she made her way to the exit.

"This had better be important, you just interrupted one of my sessions." said Jill with a stern, serious look on her face.

"I'm Special Agent Cortez and this is my partner, Agent Williams. We're with the FBI. We apologize for any inconvenience but we need to speak with you." replied Cortez.

"About what?" Jill spoke without intimidation or fear, more annoyed with being disturbed than anything else.

"It's about one of your patients."

"Why would the FBI be interested in one of my patients?" The two agents didn't respond, they just waited for her to speak. Rolling her eyes, Jill decided to speak. "You'll have to be a little more specific, I do see a large number of patients a day." Jill's tone became more annoyed now.

"Lenny Price. He's missing." said Williams as he stood behind his partner. Jill's expression went from stone and unbreakable to shocked and concerned.

"...Let's continue this conversation in my office." she said, motioning for the two agents to follow her. Once in private, Jill turned her back to them and stood by the window. She usually admired the stars but tonight the sky was cluttered and cloudy, like her thoughts. Williams looked around and observed that no family pictures of any kind sat in Jill's office. He found it unusual that a doctor wouldn't have anything personal to ease her mind during the long days. Cortez noticed the same thing, but kept her mind on task.

"Ms. Tuck is there anything you can tell us that will help us find your patient?" she asked, taking out a notepad from her back pocket.

"He wasn't my patient." answered Jill. After a brief moment of silence, Williams took out the card he found in Lenny's mailbox.

"Care to explain how your personal business card ended up in his mailbox then?" he asked.

"I've been trying to contact him myself for the past few weeks. While he wasn't my patient, he did come here looking for help."

"So...are you saying that Lenny was on some type of drug?" Cortez wondered aloud.

"No it wasn't like that. He came here looking to help someone else." After Jill's sentence ended, both Cortez and Williams looked at each other with curiosity. Jill turned to face the two, remembering the day that she had first met Lenny.

-

_"I understand, but I need to speak to somebody! I've looked everywhere else for help, this place is my last chance." _she heard him say as she finished one of her sessions with a regular patient. Coming down the hallway, she lowered the clipboard from her face and wondered what was going on. Apparently, the receptionist was giving him a hard time.

_"Unless you have an appointment, you can't see one of our doctors. If you would like to fill out these forms here, then maybe we can have someone speak to you sometime this-"_

_"I don't have TIME for all this!" _interrupted the young man, starting to walk away from the counter. Seeing he was obviously under stress, Jill broke her silence and called to him.

_"Excuse me. If you would like someone to talk to, I'm currently available." _The young man turned around and made eye contact with her. His reddened face seemed to soften with relief.

_"Ms. Tuck, you've been working since this morning, you don't have to-"_

_"It's fine, Sarah. I can take my lunch break later." _Jill said to the nurse behind the counter, putting down her clipboard.

_"I'm really sorry to cause trouble, but I'm desperate." _said the young man with an apologetic tone. Jill shook her head and gave him a reassuring smile, motioning for him to follow her into her office.

_"No harm done. I'm Dr. Jill Tuck. What's your name?"_

_"My name is Lenny."_

_"How can I help you, Lenny?"_

_"...It's my brother. I think he's addicted to drugs."_

-

"He told me that his brother was changing. That he was becoming violent and more distant than before." Jill explained.

"Before?" asked Williams, hinting for her to elaborate.

"Their father had recently passed away, according to him. He made it sound like his brother was the only family he had left, so I understood why he was so desperate for guidance."

Cortez remembered the pictures in Lenny's apartment and how they were all hidden away. The thought of having no one to turn depressed her, and the more she understood about Lenny, the more she felt that particular emotion. The sound of her partner's voice snapped her out of her own thoughts.

"Do you normally see people who arrive without appointments like that?" Williams asked Jill. She looked to the floor, leaning back against her desk as if carefully choosing the right words to say.

"No, I normally do not."

"Then if you don't mind me asking, why did you decide to see him that day?" Jill glared at Williams before sighing to herself.

"...I had a miscarriage not too long ago. Even though I never got to see my son's face, I guess something about Lenny reminded me of him." Jill's face drifted off for a few seconds, as if thinking about the life she could've had. However, she quickly realized that she had said too much and straightened her posture back up again. Her face went back to that cold expression she was carrying when the two agents first arrived. Cortez was the first to break the silence afterwards.

"Well Ms. Tuck, I'm truly sorry for your loss. But if you can give us any more information, you'd be helping us find him. Is there anything else that he told you that might give us any clues, anything at all?"

"I'm sorry, there's nothing more I can tell you." replied Jill. Cortez lowered her eyes to the ground and sighed. Suddenly, Williams asked another question; his tone taking her off guard.

"So Ms. Tuck, why exactly did you leave your card in his mailbox?" he said, eyes never leaving hers. Not even blinking, Jill made her reply.

"Ever since his brother disappeared, he hasn't come back. I left it there to show him that he wasn't alone."

"...Right. Okay well thank you for your time and we apologize for disturbing you." said Williams as he headed towards the door.

"If you do think of anything that could aid us in our search, here is our number." said Cortez, handing Jill a card. Not responding with words, Jill nodded understandingly.

"I hope you both find what you're looking for." she finally said. Cortez gave her one last look and then headed out the door to follow her partner, leaving Jill to sit in silence.

-----

Sophia opened her eyes. The smell of wood and burnt flesh entered her nostrils, causing her to nearly vomit. Coughing, she managed to rise to her feet, stumbling slightly as she did so. Not too far away on the ground in front of her, she saw Amy's charred remains.

"Oh my god..." Sophia said while covering her nose with the sleeve of her jacket. Her body still ached from the wounds received in her first trap, and now she felt dizzy. Across the room, she saw another door; a small keyhole underneath the knob.

"I need the key..." she said to herself as she searched the ground. "Where is the damn key?" Walking over to Amy's burnt corpse, she caught a glimmer in her eye. Somehow, Amy must've grabbed the key just before she died and now it sat lodged in between her thumb and index finger. Not wanting to pry the key out of the hands of a dead woman, Sophia gritted her teeth and took a deep breath. Raising her heel, she stomped on the wrist of Amy's blackened body, separating the entire hand from it's arm. Ashes scattered about as the hand crumbled under the weight of Sophia's foot. The key fell out of it's grip and Sophia bent down to retrieve it. With one last disgusted look at Amy's body, she turned away and walked towards the locked door across from her.

She turned the key in the lock and held her breath as she rammed open the door, preparing herself for another possible trap. Again, she found herself surrounded by darkness. Once she stepped further into the room, the door behind her closed and locked itself.

"Damn it!" Sophia cried in panic. A single light flashed on to reveal her surroundings. She was in a very small room with a large table in front of her. Across from her, two other doors sat locked. Looking at the key in her hand, she made a motion to push the table out of the way, but it was then that she realized it was bolted to the ground. There wasn't enough room to get around the table either, it nearly touched the walls around her. Crouching down on one knee, she saw a hidden door underneath it. It seemed to lead into an underground area, but it was sealed tight with a combination lock, preventing her from being able to open it. Just then, a loud sound made her jump. One of the two doors on the other side of the table had just slammed open.

"Who the fuck are you?!" yelled a man as he came into the room, seeing her across the table from him. He was a tall, middle aged looking man wearing baggy clothing, and his pale skin was bloody from the right side of his face down. Upon further examination, she realized that he was missing an ear in that spot.

"Calm down! I'm not the one who did this to you!" she said, motioning to his wound. The door behind the man slammed shut, causing him to yell out in frustration and fear.

"I don't want to play anymore games, I just can't do it anymore..." the man said as he slumped down the door, on the verge of crying. Sophia couldn't help but notice he looked shockingly familiar, but with the lightning in the small room not too strong, she couldn't make him out completely. Before she could ask him any questions, the last door opened, revealing a shirtless red haired man. He too was wounded; various spots on his face had holes as well as others on his bare chest and stomach. He had a similar reaction to the others as the first man did to Sophia upon entering the cramped room. Just like the others did, the door behind him sealed itself shut.

"We've been going through the same thing as you." said Sophia as she tried to calm him.

"No you haven't! He just fucking made me rip out all my piercings!!" yelled the red haired man as he clenched his fists. Just as Sophia was about to speak, she noticed what was on the table in front of them. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it sooner, but it was a gun held in place by a mechanism; gears of all sizes being visible on the side.

"...What the fuck is this?" asked the man missing his ear.

"Everybody just stay calm, we can get through this one." said Sophia as she carefully leaned in to study the gun. Suddenly, the voice from before reappeared, startling the three victims.

"Hunter. Sophia. Nate. Hello, and welcome to your next test. The three of you have risked many things during your lifetimes, but one thing you have in common is that you've risked other peoples lives in order to get what you want. Today will be no different." As the voice spoke, the three players took deep breaths and listened closely.

"There is a door beneath the table in front of you, but in order to open it, you will need the combination. Getting the combination is simple. Just rotate the table in full circles to see the numbers. Be careful though, each number will come with a price. Think of this as Russian Roulette meets Spin the Bottle." he said with a wicked laugh afterwards.

"You will have three minutes to unlock the door. Fail to retrieve the combination in time and your fates will be to waste away in this room. Live or die, make your choice."

The red haired man, Nate, cursed aloud once more as he noticed a timer begin to count down on the wall next to them. Sophia placed her key in her pocket and gripped the table's edge with both hands. The other man, Hunter did the same. Hesistantly, they all began to rotate the table top, waiting to see the first number to the combination. To their surprise, the gun mechanism turned with each rotation, spinning in all directions unless finally coming to a halt. A single bullet fired through the barrel, shooting right in between Hunter and Nate. The three screamed in fear, letting go of the table top.

"Oh god, we're gonna get shot!" cried Hunter.

"...No, we have to keep going! If we don't get the combination we're guaranteed to die!" replied Sophia as she grabbed hold of the table top again.

"Well where the fuck are we supposed to be getting the numbers from?!" yelled Nate looking around for anything to be revealed. After a few seconds of analyzing the room, the three cautiously continued their game. Rotating the table top, the gun mechanism began to spin around again, before coming to another halt. This time, the gun aimed itself as Nate's chest.

"SHIT!!" he yelled as the gun fired a bullet at him. He barely dodged it, but Sophia noticed a red number nine written on the side of the gun barrel.

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "Every time the gun fires, the barrel will shift and reveal a number!" Nate, barely catching his breath along with Hunter, looked closer and saw the number just like Sophia said. The group began to rotate the table top again, flinching as the gun spun faster than before. It came to a halt, facing Sophia this time. She screamed and moved to the right; dodging the bullet just in time.

"That one was a number four!" yelled Nate as he peered at the gun barrel. Recovering from her shock, Sophia saw the timer and wasted no time in rotating the table top again. The gun spun around and halted in between Hunter and Nate. However, before it could shoot the bullet, it repositioned itself to face Nate. Caught off guard, he couldn't avoid the thick bullet that fired itself into his chest, piercing his lung. This time, no number was written on the gun barrel.

"Oh my god!!" cried Sophia as Nate's body fell to the floor, twitching and bleeding copiously before ceasing to move. The game obviously got harder as it progressed and now time was running out. Tears streaming down their faces, Hunter and Sophia grabbed the table with shaking hands to begin a new rotation. The gun spun around and came to a halt, facing Hunter before repositioning itself to fire at the empty space next to him. He yelled fearfully as again, no number was written on the barrel.

"It's okay, we can do this! We just need one more number okay?!" yelled Sophia, trying to calm him down as well as herself. Again they rotated the table top, keeping a close eye on the gun mechanism that was about to fire. This time, it ended up shooting Hunter. He screamed out loud as blood seeped out from his body. Sophia panicked and searched for the number, seeing a red number two. Exhaling in success, she reached down beneath the table and entered the combination as she raced the clock.

"Nine-four-two! Nine-four-two!! Nine-four-two!!" she repeated to herself as she entered the combination into the lock. "YES!!!" she yelled once the lock opened and the door swung loose. Staying beneath the table, she crawled over and checked on Hunter. He was screaming, so he wasn't dead. She then saw that he had moved and gotten shot in the arm instead. Quickly, she grabbed hold of him and dragged him into the open hatch before the timer completed. As soon as they both got through the open door, it closed and bolted itself shut. Tumbling down a staircase, they both came to a stop on a cold floor in the darkness. Not thinking to check their surroundings, they lay still and panted for air, praying that they were finally free. Or at least they hoped.

-----

_"Don't worry. You and your brother have a bright future ahead of you."_

Lenny moved from his spot on the ground, taking action after what seemed like hours. Unable to move his arms, he used his shoulder to help push him up to his knees. He then saw another door to the right of him. Instead of charging head first into it, he propped himself up against the wall and thought about everything that had led up to this. Whoever was doing this to him claimed that he didn't appreciate his life. So he took a few moments to think back and see why he was here. Right away he thought of his brother, Rick. He was missing for so long that they presumed him dead. So many good memories came to him.

There were the times when they'd go to the park together as kids, race each other to the swing sets. The times when they would fight each other to play the latest games in the local arcade. The times when they'd skip school to go to see a movie or play pranks on their cranky old teachers. Then as they got older, they would go on road trips together with their friends and have the time of their lives. Even just sitting around at home drinking beers and talking about normal mundane things made Lenny smile now. So many good memories...

But then came the bad memories. The times when Lenny would feel left out for being the younger child. The times when his father would want to spend time with Rick instead of him. The time when his father wasn't around to even make that choice anymore. The funeral they had to attend for him and the mass of pouring rain that never seemed to cease that day. The fact that their mother always made them fight for her favoritism and love. The fact that Rick turned to drugs, the fact that he used to beat on Lenny just to feel good about himself. Turning to Dr. Jill Tuck for help. The last conversation he had with Rick before he went missing...so many bad memories too.

By now, Lenny was so emotionally traumatized and numb that he couldn't find a single tear to shed. Other than the ones that had stained his face up until now, he couldn't find the energy to let anymore fall. He thought back to his mother, and the message she left on his answering machine. Then he thought to what made her leave that message, the harsh words she had told him before he stopped talking to her.

-

_"Mom, I know Rick being gone has been rough on you...but you have another son...you still have me. Maybe this time, you can find it in your heart to love me like you loved him...?"_ he remembered saying to the back of her head that night. She sat frustrated, rubbing her head while sobbing at her desk.

_"Why are you here, Lenny?"_

_"...Because you're my mother. And even though we haven't always gotten along, I want to be there for you now. With dad gone and now Rick...all I'm saying is that I don't want you to live a lonely life, mom. Won't you give me a chance to show you I'm just as much a man as Rick was?"_

_"No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, you'll NEVER be the man HE is!" _she yelled back, her words stabbing Lenny deeper than any knife ever could. He sat speechless, his lips moving to say something but no words escaping his mouth. Looking away from her, he quietly made his way out the front door, never to look back again. His mother sat still, replaying her words to him just now. Even though she was angry, that was the one time she wished she could reverse time and take it back. The only thing she wanted to do now was hear his words, and instead of pushing him away, she wanted to embrace him. But somehow, she knew it was too late.

-

Lenny realized that he was staring at a blank space for the past few moments. Shaking himself out of his trance, he stood up and approached the next doorway. He knew he was walking into another trap, but by now, he was starting not to care.


End file.
